Laboratory cabinet



Jan. 28, 1964 J. LEVI ETAL 3,119,643

LABORATORY CABINET Filed July 12, 1962* 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q m w M04105(Er/ INVENTOR5 q- GEMGE TAO/ELM lfM/m ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1964 J. LEVIETAL 3,119,643

LABORATORY CABINET Filed July 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JUL/U5 LEWINVENTOR.

2 GEORGE 7710/5140 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,119,643 LAhonAronrQAEHNET .lulius Levi, Teaneck, and George Tadielle, Clifiside Park,

This invention relates to a laboratory cabinet, and has as its primaryobject the provision of an improved laboratory cabinet preferablyincorporating upper slidable drawers and lower outwardly swinging doors,although principles embodied in the instant inventive concept may beemployed in other arrangements of cabinets or analogous furniture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cabinet of thischaracter wherein means are provided for compensating for the normal sagof slidable drawers when in open position, so that swinging doorspositioned directly beneath the cabinet may be readily opened whetherthe drawers are open or closed.

A further object of the invention is the provision, achieved by the useof such means for compensating for the sag in the upper drawers of aspace saving unit, wherein the provision of a separating strip betweenthe bottom of the drawer and the top of the door is renderedunnecessary.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cabinet providedwith a front post, which may be either central, in a double door, adouble drawer cabinet, or which may be located at either side of thecabinet in the case of a single drawer and door unit, provided withmounting apertures for a drawer slide in combination with a rear stripin longitudinal alignment with the front strip having a series of spacedtongue-receiving openings therein for the reception of correspondingtongues on the drawer slides, wherein the spaced openings of the rearstrip are disaligned with the openings of the front strip, in suchmanner that the drawer slide guides incline rearwardly of the cabinet.

An additional object of the invention is the provision, in combinationwith such inclined drawer guides of an enlarged oversize roller carriedby the front of the guide which bears against the underside of acorresponding top channel wa'll carried by the drawer to further supportthe drawer against the normal downward sag occasioned when the drawer isopened in the conventional horizontal guideways.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision oflaterally elongated or widened tongues at the rear ends of the drawerguides and apertures in the rear supporting strip corresponding in widthto such tongues whereby lateral side play of the guides is substantiallyeliminated, and vertical movement thereof reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cabinetstructure of this nature wherein the drawer guides may be positioned atany desired height relative to the front of the cabinet, and any desiredheight of swinging door may be positioned directly therebeneath withoutthe interposition of a separating strip, the arrangement being such thatwhen the drawer is opened the bottom of its front panel is insubstantially the identical horizontal plane in which the lower edge ofsuch front panel lies when the drawer is closed, whereby the door may beswung outwardly without engaging the underside of the drawer -whether ornot the latter is closed or open.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a cabinetstructure of this nature which is of extreme versatility in that variouscombinations of drawers and doors may be employed in variousarrangements, and

wherein, in the case of a double cabinet, the opposite sides thereof maybe identical or contain entirely different arrangements of drawers,doors, or any combination thereof.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fullypointed out hereinafter.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a cabinetstructure of this nature which is strudy and durable in construction,reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple andinexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outhereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein there isdisclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings: 7

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of one form ofcabinet structure embodying the instant inventive concept, the top beingremoved for the sake of clarity of illustration.

HG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the interior ofthe cabinet not disclosed in FIG. 1.

FlG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the cabinet embodying features ofthe instant invention taken substantially along the center line thereof,and showing a drawer having a front panel, and a swingable door inposition therein.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view, parts thereof beingbroken away, of the guide or slide channel for a drawer, showing themounting arrangement thereof.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG.4 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG.4 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows but disclosing theparts in assembled relation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, one form of cabinetstructure constructed in accordance with the instant invention isgenerally indicated at it and includes a bottom wall 11, the edges ofwhich are coved as at 12 into opposed parallel side walls 13-. Thecabinet also includes a rear wall 14 including a pair of removableaccess panels 15, an integral base structure 16, and a central frontpanel 17. Base structure 16 includes a flush interior, with avermin-proofed back 18, and the usual resiliently mounted cornersupporting members 19. In the illustrative embodiment of the inventionherein shown, the back 14 is provided with a flanged top supportingchannel 20, and a channel-shaped front top member '21 also accommodatesa top (not shown) which may be of the conventional flat top variety, orcontain any necessary accoutrements as desired. Side walls 13 also haveinturned top flanges 22.

Rear Wall 14 is provided, adjacent each side wall 13 with a verticalmetal strip 23 having a single row of spaced-apart equidistantlypositioned horizontally elongated openings 24, the purpose of which willbe more fully desribed hereinafter, while a center strip 25 is providedwith a double parallel row of similar horizontally elongated openings26, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter in detail.

Front panel 17 is relatively narrow and is channelshaped including sidewall portions 27 which are provided at selectively spaced intervals withbolt openings 28. Bolt openings 28 are adapted for the reception of athreaded bolt 29, which serves as an aide for a front drawer guideroller 36a mounted on a roller or ball bearing carried by the head ofmember 29, the screw 29 extending through an opening 31 in the side wallportion 32 of a channel suspension slide generally indicated at 33. Inthe form of the invention herein shown each of drawer channel suspensionslides 33 includes a lower fiange34 perpendicular to the side wallportion 32, a cutaway portion 35 which is adapted to coincide with thetermination of the side 27 of front panel 17, a top flange 35 parallelto the bottom flange 34 and a verticallyextending guide 37 on the inneredge of top flange 36. Guide flange 37 terminates at 38 in flushrelation with the end 39 of horizontal flange 36, the end of which isupwardly flared as at 40 and provided with a tongue 41. Tongue 41 liesin a horizontal plane and corresponds in size to the openings 24 and 26,and may he interchangeably positioned therein. Lower flange 34 isprovided with a corresponding tongue of similar size and configuration,42, with the tongues 41 and 42 being so spaced relative to the openings24 or 26 that they Will engage simultaneously in two selected verticallyaligned openings. Four of guide channels 33 are provided irl theassembly herein shown, one on each side of the cabinet in abuttingrelation with the associated side wall 13, and two centrally positionedin alignment with and secured to front center panel 17 in the mannerpreviously described. Obviously the channels in the center of the deviceare oppositely mounted, and confront the opposed drawer channels on theopposite sides of the device. Channel supporting end strips 43 areprovided beneath the forward end of each channel slide 33, cut to exactlength to serve as reinforcement for the front ends of the channel.

A very important feature of the invention resides in the verticalpositioning of the openings 28 and corresponding openings in the sideWalls 13 which support the end channel suspension slides relative to theopenings 24- and 26. These openings are aligned in a vertical plane sothat the tongues 41 and 42 may readily engage their associated openings24 or 26 while the openings 31 land 28 are correspondingly aligned sothat the channels lie in parallel relation to provide smooth and easysliding of drawers generally indicated at 50, and to be more fullydescribed hereinafter, in the drawer suspension slides. However in ahorizontal plane the openings 28 are oifset relatively to the openings26 and 24- and the arrangement is such that the bottom flange 34- ofeach channel inclines upwardly toward the front of the cabinet 10, thetotal upward inclination being preferably, although not necessarilylimited to, approximately one-eighth of an inch.

Bolts or screws 29 are held in related assembly with their associatedcomponents in any desired manner although a spring type push-on nut 51including an inner plate 52, an outer bowed plate 53 and the usualinwardly struck resilient portions 54, the plates being suitablyapertured as at 55, may be employed advantageously for the purpose.

Drawers are of conventional design and include a double front platehaving a handle 61, side walls 62, a bottom 63 and a rear end wall 64.The lower portions of side wall 62 are provided with slides 65, ofgenerally conventional design, which are adapted to engage with thechannel suspension guides 33 in the usual manner. The rear portion ofthe guide flanges 65 are provided with rollers 66 in conventionalmanner, which rollers engage the bottom flanges 34. The rollers 66 areof lesser diameter than the forward rollers 30a, to an extent ofapproximately one-eighth of an inch preferably, although this is notessential.

By virtue of the increase in diameter of the rollers 36:: and theinclination of the slides 33 a total lift or incline of approximately aquarter of an inch is imparted to each drawer, so that when the draweris extended the usual sagging thereof which accompanies horizontallydisposed slides and which seldom exceeds a quarter of an inch at maximumextension is compensated to the extent that the lower end of front plate60 is substantially at identicmlly the level, when extended, that itoccupies when closed. By virtue of this arrangement swinging doors '70,which are conventionally hinged to the side posts 71 of the frame of thedevice, and provided with conventional catch means 72 may be readily andexpeditiously opened or closed regardless of whether or not the drawer59 immediately overlying same is in open or closed position. By virtueof this arrangement the usual dividing strip between drawer and door isobviated, thus effecting a substantial saving in usable space in thecabinet.

The cabinet in FIG. 1, illustratively, contains a horizontal shelf 73 onone side thereof, but it is to be understood that any desiredcompartmentation of the space closed by either of the doors may beemployed; Obviously the drawers 50 may be of greater or less depth, andthe doors 70 proportioned accordingly, one salient feature of theinvention comprising the elimination of any Waste space provided by nseparating strip between the lower edge of the front panel 60 of thedrawer 50 and the top edge of the associated drawer 70 due to theinclined channel suspension slides, and the enlargement of the frontrollers.

It is also to be understood that this inventive concept may beadvantageously employed with superposed drawers thus eliminating thenecessity of spacer members between adjacent drawers.

The inclination of channel suspension Slides or guides 33 isdiagrammatically indicated in FIG. 3 wherein the distance :1 indicatedby the arrows, at the front of the cabinet slightly exceeds the distancea' indicated by the arrows at the rear of the cabinet, the distancesdesignating the respective height of the front and rear ends of theslides from the level floor 11.

While the top of the cabinet structure is herein disclosed as beingopen, it will be readily understood that any desired type of top may besupported on the front and rear channel members 21 and 26, and on theinwardly extending flanges 22 of side walls 13.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is erein provided animproved cabinet structure, which accomplishes all of the objects ofthis invention, and others, including many advantages of great practicalutiliy and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of the invention hereinbefore shown anddescribed, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment shownand described, it i to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limitmg sense.

We claim:

*1. A cabinet construction comprising a cabinet body having a singleuninterrupted front opening therein, a drawer slidably mounted in saidcabinet and having a front panel closing the upper part of said openingwhen in closed position, an outwardly opening, vertically hinged doorbeneath said drawer having its upper edge closely juxtaposed to thelower edge of said front panel when said door and drawer are both inclosed position, means mounting said drawer to preclude sagging of theouter end thereof when in open position, whereby said door may be openedor closed when said drawer is open, a pair of opposed parallel channelsuspension guides inclined downwardly from front to rear andcorresponding channel slides carried by said drawer engaged in saidchannel guides whereby the elevation of the rear end of said drawercorrespondingly raises the front end thereof when in open position tocompensate for gravitational sag of said front portion when extended outof said cabinet, the rear end of said drawer provided with a pair ofoppositely disposed rollers movable in said channel guides, andengageable with the bottom flange thereof, and each of said channelguides provided with a roller engageable with the top flange of itsassociated drawer slide, said rollers carried by said guides being ofgreater diameter than said first-mentioned rollers further to clevatethe rear of said drawer when said drawer is opened to further compensate:for gravitational sag.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the rear end or each channelsuspension guide carries a pair of spaced horizontally elongatedtongues, and the rear wall of said cabinet body carries a strip having aplurality of equidistantly spaced horizontally elongated openings inwhich said tongues are selectively engaged, the front portion of saidcabinet body having a series of vertically aligned openings for theseourement of the front end of said channel suspension guides, theopenings in said strips being horizontally disaligned with the openingsin the front of said cabinet body whereby the downward inclination ofthe rear ends of said guides is effected.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said rollers in said channel guidesare mounted on roller bearings carried by a bolt, said bolt beingextensible through aligned openings in the side of the channelsuspension guide and a selected one of said openings in the frontportion of said cabinet body, and a spring nut secures each said bolt inposition.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the suspension guide carries a pairof spaced horizontally elongated tongues and wherein each channelsuspension guide incl-Ldes a vertical side portion, a horizontal upperflange, and a horizontal lower flange and said tongues extend from theinner ends of said upper and lower flanges.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said upper flange includes avertically offset end portion carrying the uppermost of said pair oftongues, said offset end portion providing reinforcing support for theinner end of the channel suspension guide, and spaces said tongues inconformity to the spacing of said openings in the adjacent strip.

6. A cabinet structure comprising a cabinet body having a singleuninterrupted front opening therein characterized by the absence ofhorizontal spacers, at least one slidable drawer having a front panelclosing an upper portion of said front opening, means mounting saiddrawer to preclude sagging thereof whereby other movable unitspositioned beneath said one drawer may be readily opened or closedregardless of the position of said one drawer, a pair or opposedparallel channel suspension guides inclined downwardly from front torear and corresponding channel slides carried by said drawer engaged insaid channel guides whereby the elevation of the rear end of said drawercorrespondingly raises the front end thereof when in open position tocompensate for lgralvitational sag of said front portion when extendedout of said cabinet, the rear end of said drawer provided with a pair ofoppositely disposed rollers movable in said channel guides andengageable with the top flange of its associated drawer slide, saidrollers carried by said guides being of greater diameter than saidfirstamentioned rollers further to elevate the rear of said drawer whensaid drawer is opened to further compensate for gravitational sag.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein the rear end of each channelsuspension guide carries a pair of spaced horizontally elongatedtongues, and the rear wall of said cabinet body carries a strip having aplurality of equidistantly spaced horizontally elongated openings inwhich said tongues are selectively engaged, the front portion of saidcabinet body having a series of vertically aligned openings for thesecurement of the front end of said channel suspension guides, theopenings in said strips being horizontally disaligned with the openingsin the front of said cabinet body whereby the downward inclination ofthe rear ends of said guides is effected.

8-. The structure of claim 7 wherein said rollers in said channel guidesare mounted on roller bearings carried by a bolt, said bolt beingextensible through aligned openings in the side of the channelsuspension guide and a selected one of said openings in the :frontportion of said cabinet body, and a spring nut secures each said bolt inposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,620,251 Restivo Dec. 2, 1952 2,620,252 Restivo Dec. 2, 1952 2,872,269Anderson et al Feb. 3, 1959 2,911,276 Hiers Nov. 3, 1959

6. A CABINET STRUCTURE COMPRISING A CABINET BODY HAVING A SINGLEUNINTERRUPTED FRONT OPENING THEREIN CHARACTERIZED BY THE ABSENCE OFHORIZONTAL SPACERS, AT LEAST ONE SLIDABLE DRAWER HAVING A FRONT PANELCLOSING AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID FRONT OPENING, MEANS MOUNTING SAIDDRAWER TO PRECLUDE SAGGING THEREOF WHEREBY OTHER MOVABLE UNITSPOSITIONED BENEATH SAID ONE DRAWER MAY BE READILY OPENED OR CLOSEDREGARDLESS OF THE POSITION OF SAID ONE DRAWER, A PAIR OF OPPOSEDPARALLEL CHANNEL SUSPENSION GUIDES INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM FRONT TOREAR AND CORRESPONDING CHANNEL SLIDES CARRIED BY SAID DRAWER ENGAGED INSAID CHANNEL GUIDES WHEREBY THE ELEVATION OF THE REAR END OF SAID DRAWERCORRESPONDINGLY RAISES THE FRONT END THEREOF WHEN IN OPEN POSITION TOCOMPENSATE FOR GRAVITATIONAL SAG OF SAID FRONT PORTION WHEN EXTENDED OUTOF SAID CABINET, THE REAR END OF SAID DRAWER PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OFOPPOSITELY DISPOSED ROLLERS MOVABLE IN SAID CHANNEL GUIDES ANDENGAGEABLE WITH THE TOP FLANGE OF ITS ASSOCIATED DRAWER SLIDE, SAIDROLLERS CARRIED BY SAID GUIDES BEING OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAIDFIRST-MENTIONED ROLLERS FURTHER TO ELEVATE THE REAR OF SAID DRAWER WHENSAID DRAWER IS OPENED TO FURTHER COMPENSATE FOR GRAVITATIONAL SAG.